Mechanical wrench



May 25, 1943. J, T, BURKS 2,320,119

MECHANICAL WRENCH Filed Sept. 16, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet l mumumm; mlmmml'm g illlljgglhli y 5, 1943. J. T. BURKS 2,320,119

MECHANICAL WRENCH Filed Sept. 16, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I lull John INVENTOR ATTO R N EYS Patented May 25, 1943 UNETED STATES PATENT QFFECE MECHANICAL WRENCH John T. Burks, East Carondelet, 111. Application September 16, 1940, Serial No. 357,065

3 Claims.

This invention relates to wrenches, and more particularly to those adapted tooperate a chuck for holding a screw driver, valve grinding tool, etc.

In adevice of this kind it is extremely desirable to get a good mechanical advantage on the wrench when necessary. The wrenches now in general use have, for the most part, crank handles which give a fixed mechanical advantage, or straight handles which give none at all. I realize that quite a few wrenches of this type have been developed but, so far as I am aware, no one has produced a device having the specific advantageous combination and arrangement of parts of that embodied in my invention.

The object of this invention is an efficient and powerful wrench,

Another object is a wrench which may at any time be converted from a screw driver type Wrench into one having a lever handle.

Still another object is an easily manufactured and operated wrench for producing the above results.

These and other objects may be accomplished by my invention which embodies among its features a wrench of the straight or screw driver type having a chuck, a twisted shank, and a turning means consisting of a handle, a head member screwed on the handle, a sleeve on the shank, and annular means on the bottom of the handle and pivoted thereto carrying a set screw for detachable engagement with the sleeve.

Other objects and features may become evident from the following disclosure when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a side view of my improved wrench, the handle in upright position,

Figure 2 is a side view of the same, with the handle in side position for leverage,

Figure 3 is a vertical cross section through the wrench,

Figure 4 is a cross section taken on line 4-4 of Figure 3 and showing the handle in side position,

Figure 5 is a side view, partly in cross section, showing the annular member of the handle detached from the hexagonal portion of the sleeve,

Figure 6 is a cross section taken on line 6-6 of Figure 2,

Figure 7 is a cross section taken on line 1--1 of Figure 2,

Figure 8 is a side view, partly in cross section, I

of my sleeve structure in a modified form,

Figure 9 is a side view, also partly in cross section, taken at right angles to Figure 8,

Figure 10 is a partial cross sectional side view showing the sleeve member of Figure 9 in a different position,

Figure 11 is a side view of the sleeve member shown in Figures 8 to 10,

Figure 12 is a perspective view of the yoke member shown in Figures 8 to 10,

Figure 13 is a side View of a valve grinding tool adapted to be used with this device, and

Figures 14, 15 and 16 are perspective views of adapters of various sizes to be used with my Wrench. 0

Referring to the drawings in detail, my wrench consists of a chuck I0, adapted to engage a tool II and. positioned on the end of a twisted shank I 2. There is a sleeve E3 on the shank having a removable collar l3 and an annular member l4 engaging the sleeve and having a set screw IS. A handle i6 is pivoted to this sleeve and extends upwardly, surrounding the shank, and having an end member I! threaded thereto, The member I! has a square socket portion Hi to receive the square end of a shank for holding it against rotation.

It will be noted that, by loosening set screw I 5, annular member l4 may be removed from the enlarged portion of sleeve I3 so that the handle may, by removing end member ll, be placed in the right angle position shown in Figure 2. In this position it will provide much leverage in turning the wrench. There is a catch means I8 provided for easy removal of the end member H.

In a modified form of the device, illustrated at Figures 8 to 12 inclusive, a sleeve l9 having a spiral bore designed to engage the spiral shank l2 and slidable axially along the said shank is formed at its outer end with a stop lip 20. At the opposite end the sleeve is screw threaded to engage an interiorly threaded stop flange 2|. The exterior of the sleeve is also provided'with screw threads 24 extending from the lip to an intermediate portion thereof, terminating at the outer end of a non-circular, in the present example hexagonal, enlargement section 25 formed. exteriorly of the sleeve at the medial portion. From the section 25 to the inner end the exterior of the sleeve is in the form of a reduced cylindrical section 26.

An annulus 21 encircles and is axially slidable on the sleeve between the stop lip and flange, the interior of the annulus having a non-circular hexagonal contour slidable over and engageable with the section 25 and rotatable about the adjacent section 26.

Detachably secured to the annulus so as to extend longitudinally of the shank is a member 28 embodying an elongated part or bar 29 provided with a longitudinally elongated slot 30. At the inner end of the member 28 is a ring 3! encircling and slidable along the sleeve section 26 while at the outer end is formed a yoke 32. This yoke en ages an annular groove 33 formed in the exterior of a collar 34 having the interior threaded to engage the screw threads 24 of the sleeve. A set screw 23 on the annulus 21 extends through the slot 30 to removably and adjustably attach the member 28 to the annulus. A tubular handle 35 having one end pivotally connected to the annulus 21 may be disposed concentrically of the shank or at an angular relation therewith to provide leverage in turning the shank.

Thus, by rotation of the collar 34 the annulus 21 may be moved into rotary connection with the sleeve through engagement with the enlargement section 25 or to a position encircling the cylindrical section 25 without rotary-engagement with the sleeve.

Although a preferred embodiment is described herein I do not wish to be limited thereto but only by the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a wrench of the character described, a spiral shaft, a tool engaging connection on one end of the shaft, a socket element fitted on the opposite end of the shaft, a sleeve having a spiral bore engageable with the shaft and axially y slidable on the shaft, the said sleeve being shaped externally to provide an intermediate non-circular section, a round smooth section at one end thereof and a screw threaded section at the opposite end of the sleeve, an annulus slidably mounted on the sleeve to selectively engage the round or non-circular sections thereof, a collar threadedly engaging the threaded section of the sleeve, a yoke connecting the said collar with the annulus, and a tubular handle pivotally connected with the said annulus adapted to assume a position concentrically about the shaft and movable to positions in angular relation to the shaft.

2. In a device of the character described, a spiral tool carrying shank, a sleeve having a spiral bore for engagement with and slidable axially of the shank, the said sleeve having a cylindrical portion, an enlarged non-circular exterior portion and a threaded portion, an element having a non-circular bore and mounted to slide axially on the sleeve and adapted to engage the same for turning thereof when in registration with the non-circular portion, and means connected to the said element and having threaded connection with the threaded portion of the sleeve for axially adjusting the said element in and out of engagement with said non-circular portion.

3. In a device of the character described, a spiral tool carrying shank, a sleeve having a spiral bore therethrough threadedly engaging the shank and slidable axially thereon, the said sleeve having a cylindrical portion exteriorle thereof at one end, an externally screw threaded portion at the opposite end and a non-circular enlarged intermediate portion, an annulus mounted to slide axially on the sleeve and to engage the non-circular portion thereof for tuming with the sleeve, an interiorly threaded collar having screw connection with the threaded portion of the sleeve, and a connecting element having connection with the collar and adjustably fastened to the annulus for axial adjustment of the latter,

JOHN T. BURKS. 

